Consequences.
One day after the incident, the repercussions of the whole debacle could be felt, spreading across the country like disease. In this way, it wasn’t unlike the months following the League’s terrorist attack at U.A.
“He looked like that one horror story, Sadako.” a woman with a blurred face says on the TV screen, sitting upright in her hospital bed. “He– he just appeared out of thin air, almost broke my back, and– and then threatened to split my arm!”
The feed switches. The journalist, a tall woman with glasses, speaks in the microphone with a grave expression, “Okada Daichi, businessman and owner of the Okada industries, well-known all over Japan and internationally for his hero-gadgets and studies on quirk science, has been put under examination while the police looks for the man, Neji Hyuuga, responsible for the violent break-in that happened yesterday, on the fifteenth of July.” There's footage of the building, the deep fuming hole at the top showing just how severe the damage was. “Several members of the staff were wounded, who wish to remain anonymous, and there was one casualty, thirty six-year-old Konishi Takao, a security guard who confronted the criminal on the day of the altercation. Video footage was judged too violent, and so we’ll only show pictures…” a sequence of paused images appear on screen, capturing the exact moment the villain had ended the man’s life with a single strike. “This tragedy, Japan will not forget. My deepest, sincerest condolences to the victim’s family.”
The feed switches again. Amateur video footage supplied by nearby civilians show clips of the heroes and victims on the day of the fiasco. The screen is trembling uncontrollably; the atmosphere of chaos being accentuated by the resounding booms that can be heard.
“Although heroes on scene have not succeeded in restraining this dangerous individual, the rescue of the trapped staff and clients out of the building, conducted by number nine pro-hero Ryukyu, has been successful. Four support heroes have been reported to sustain critical injuries.” The journalist shuffles with her papers on the TV set, pictures of the injured aligning on screen. “Pro-hero Hawks himself is currently being hospitalized, though the gravity of his injuries is unknown. The Hero Commissions stated our beloved number three will be resuming hero-work shortly, but refused to make any further comment.”
“As we said, the incident happened yesterday. The culprit seems to have entered the tower through the front doors at approximately eight in the morning, though no camera footage can back it up. It is not certain how he made it to the third floor, but the villain seems to have pressured and assaulted present staff to get past security. What we can confirm is that, to get to the top, Neji Hyuuga has actually scaled the side of the building.” she marks a brief pause to let the ridiculousness of it sink in– Okada’s tower was high, all right. “Possible motivations are unsure, it seems that this violent act against one of Japan’s most known figures in the hero industry constitutes an act of terrorism.”
The journalist then spends a good twenty minutes explaining, in what meager details she is allowed to, the whole incident. All of which Tsukauchi has already read and heard all about during his last sleepless night– his sunken look as he watches his phone’s cracked screen (it slipped from his hand this morning; And of course his lack of sleep is, again, to be blamed) is proof enough.
“This incident has been the object of severe public outrage since rumors of corruption started spreading online. As a result, more and more lawsuits have been filed against Okada Daichi,” the woman disappears from the screen, replaced by a series of recent posts on hero.net. Rape and sexual assault lawsuits in particular seem to pop out the most; Tsukauchi lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Police are currently reviewing those cases, although the overwhelming number of lawsuits, in only a few hours, has been complicated to deal with. It’s quite possibly the first time in recent history that such a thing has happened.”
“The heroes affiliated with him have also been receiving backlash… One of which is one of our beloved heroes, Present Mic: the voice hero, teacher at the UA faculty, who has refused to comment further on the matter.”
“Police confirm that the culprit is a man who calls himself ‘Neji Hyuuga’, who was already running from justice with several cases of violent vigilantism. He is still on the loose despite both Hawks and Ryukyu having been at the scene, as well as several other support pro-heroes.” she marks a pause, eyes focusing on the camera. “Although their reaction-speed in the whole ordeal, in the middle of UA’s sports festival, can be commanded, their efforts still haven’t been enough.”
“One can only wonder, if with this unprecedented rise of villainism, and our heroes’ continuous failures, could this be the beginning of a new era of fear for Japan?”
Tsukauchi rubs his forehead, staring down at his phone with weary eyes.
“Sir? We’re at the hospital.”
“Thank you.” he hurries out of the car when it pulls over, placing his hat on top of his hair as the late-morning wind breezes past him.
The hallways of Hosu’s hospital are crowded as always, the undertones of the disinfectant smell following him as he shuffles to the room indicated to him by the reception. The sound of his own steps echo oddly in his own ears, the result of poor sleep or perhaps too many hours spent looking at video footage and reviewing files. Images of the dark-haired teenager dance in front of his mind’s eyes. How funny is it that the boy seems to be haunting him despite them having never met?
Tsukauchi stops by a door located in the special hero-only wing of the hospital, with stricter security designed to prevent hero patients from being harassed by hounding press, pushy fans and, potentially, infiltrated villains. He fixes his tie, conscious of his own ruffled appearance, before raising his fist to knock.
“Ah.” a voice speaks. Tsukauchi’s hand stops, he turns his head, and he and Tanuma share weary smiles. “I’d say it’s a pleasure seeing you here, but…”
Tanuma doesn’t look much better than he does, dark rings under his eyes, the same haggard half-awake, heavy posture Tsukauchi sees in the reflection of his window car. He even spies a washed-out coffee stain on the cuff of the wrinkled fabric of the man’s shirt.
Tsukauchi exhales, turning to his fellow detective. “Yes. I agree that circumstances could be better. How have you been?”
“Fine.” Tanuma smiles, then adds quietly. “Tired. That little fucker really likes giving us work, doesn’t he?”
He winces, and sympathetically excuses Tanuma’s vulgarity. The man must have been running all over, rushing this place and that as cases concerning Neji Hyuga seem to pop out everyday, scattered across Tokyo like a trail of breadcrumbs. With the latest one having made that much of a fuss, his colleague’s looseness is nothing but forgivable.
Tsukauchi nods. “I feel like we’re going to see a lot of each other again. ”
Tanuma grunts in the affirmative. “Reminds me of the Naruhata vigilantes. Our cases do have a tendency to overlap.” Tsukauchi nods.
They enter the hospital room together; neither of them have the luxury of lingering any longer.
“Detectives.” Ingenium offers a tired smile. “Rough day?”
Tsukauchi smiles, though it feels strained even to him, and takes off his hat. “It’s been a chaotic few days.”
“You can say that again.” Tanuma grumbles, and takes a seat next to the bed while Tsukauchi remains standing. “How have you been, Ingenium?”
“Could be better.” The hero grimaces, ruffling his dark-blue hair abashedly. “Could be worse, too. The nerves near my shoulder are damaged and I have this killer headache… though I should be back to hero-work in a month, give or take. I’m just glad it didn’t end up worse.”
“That is a relief, then.” he dips his head slightly. “My name is Naomasa Tsukauchi, would it be possible to ask you a few questions about what happened? I apologize for interrupting your rest, but it is quite urgent.”
The hero smiles kindly at him, sitting up slowly. “Yes, I’ve heard of you. You’re investigating the League of villains, correct? Ask away.” Right. Ingenium’s younger brother, in class 1-A, has been a victim of the league’s. It’s no wonder the hero has taken an interest in the ongoing investigation.
Tanuma takes over, evidently already familiar with Ingenium. “Could you recount what happened for us?”
“It was about ten in the afternoon when I received a call from my agency about possible Hero Killer sightings. They suggested I wait for back-up. I didn’t, considering that he was far too dangerous to be left alone in a city as populated as Hosu, and began investigating.” Ingenium smiles grimly. “It was surprisingly easy to find him– I guess he’s just not the type of villain to be concerned with stealth. Anyways, I engaged him. He injured me with his sword, it was nothing fatal, however… At that moment someone else arrived. He stumbled into the alleyway, looking surprised.”
“Neji Hyuga. Are you saying him showing up at that moment wasn’t intentional?” Tsukauchi asks.
Ingenium nods. “No, it didn’t seem intentional. As I said, he looked really surprised, and froze. I didn’t recognize him, at first I thought he was an unlucky civilian… But, the way he carried himself… I soon realized I was in a very bad situation. I quite honestly thought I was done for.” Ingenium laughs, sounding strained. “The Hero Killer did something, and suddenly I couldn’t move. A paralysis quirk, certainly, but I wasn’t able to see exactly what he did.” he scratches his cheek. “Sorry.”
“It was my own fault, really” the young hero continues before the detectives can answer. “I should have waited for backup. Instead, I gave chase alone…” Ingenium trails off, his face turning ashamed. “I got cocky.”
“Let’s just be glad you’re alive and kicking, Ingenium. Besides, your intervention held Stain up long enough that there weren’t any casualties.” Tanuma hurries to say. “Not to mention, you’ve given us some really valuable information. Stain’s victims don’t usually, ah, make it out to tell the story.”
Tsukauchi nods in agreement. “Was there anything they said or did that caught your attention?”
Ingenium’s eyes trail to the side, thinking. “Well… I did notice the younger one, ah, Neji Hyuga you said, had a strange posture. It seems to me that he was injured. Badly.”
He nods. That would probably be Hawks. “Anything else?”
“Stain accused him of interrupting; Their exchange was pretty hostile… And, well, I didn’t see much as I made my escape, but I can say it was entirely thanks to the distraction. Stain attacked Hyuga, but I didn’t hear anything so I’m assuming he must have dodged.” Well at least they didn’t have a Neji Hyuga and Stain alliance to deal with… that would have been less than ideal.
“Neji Hyuga is capable of teleporting.” Tanuma informs him, and the man hums.
“Fancy quirk.”
The older man smiles drily. “You have no idea.”
The detectives both offer him wishes of a swift recovery, and assure him they don’t have any more questions. Tanuma, however, decides to stay; It’s clear the two are on friendly terms.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to linger.” Tsukauchi mumbles, checking his watch. “I’m afraid I have another meeting to get to… And I’m late.”
Tanuma nods with a lazy smile. “Better hurry up then.” Tsukauchi dips his hat and takes his leave.
In the hospital’s corridor, he immediately stumbles into someone else.
“Tenya Iida.” Tsukauchi acknowledges, nodding in passing (he is carrying a small plastic bag, which the detective assumes is for his brother.) The boy looks stunned, then quickly gathers himself and nods soberly. Tsukauchi cracks a half-smile: So serious.
Although the two brothers’ personalities are polar opposites, one could not deny the resemblances they share. The boy has Ingenium’s stocky build, the width of his shoulders, the quiet confidence and the determination. The smile, as well, Tsukauchi ponders as he recalls the few clips he’s seen of the youngest at the sports’ festival.
If he’s anything like his older brother, he’ll make a fine hero, indeed.
Tsukauchi arrives in a rush at the All Might tower, taking off his hat as the elevator’s ding announces his arrival to the meeting room, situated at the very top of the number one’s agency. The detective has been here before, although his nervousness is just as the very first time he’s found himself in the massive room.
“I’m really sorry.” he gushes, for lack of anything better to say, and takes a moment to get his breathing in control.
“Take a seat, Tsukauchi.” Nedzu smiles. “We were waiting for you to start.”
The good detective mumbles his thanks as he takes a seat around the large, rectangle meeting table, exchanging polite nods with the others. All Might, out of his hero-form, smiles at him from his right. The man is practically swimming in his hero costume, indicating he might have been running around the country beating crime before the meeting. He looks anxious, but his good will, as always, seems to engulf the meeting room. Next to him, Nedzu sits languidly propped on several All Might-themed pillows, paws resting on the table. Right in front of Tsukauchi sits the retired hero Gran Torino, looking severe with his arms crossed, and they share polite nods (he has spoken to him on occasions, but the depth of their relationship ends there. What he does know is that All Might both respects and fears his old mentor equally.)
However, Tsukauchi is surprised when he catches Nighteye’s eye to his left, but doesn’t outwardly react. The underground hero is sitting ramrod straight, pointedly in the seat the farthest away from All Might’s. The meeting hasn’t yet begun, yet he already looks immensely unimpressed. It’s a surprise the man even agreed to show up, given it’s been a few years since he and the number one even found themselves in the same room at all after their falling-out.
No wonder that the man is sweating bullets– Gran Torino and Sir Nighteye in the same room would be just enough to send the Symbol of Peace in a frenzy. Tsukauchi internally sends words of encouragement his way.
“Now that everyone’s here,” Nedzu begins, quickly taking charge. All Might seems content to let him. “I’d firstly like to thank you all for taking the time to attend on such short notice. I could not safely share details on the phone and such to any of you because of how pressing the matter is.”
“Is it about that…League of villains? Terrible name by the way.” Gran Torino asks, fingers tapping impatiently on his forearm.
"Mhh. Not exactly." the Principal smiles.
“How’s the investigation on the League going?” All Might asks him with sudden interest.
“...It’s going.” Tsukauchi grimaces, and Gran Torino snorts.
“This is about Neji Hyuga, actually.” Nedzu informs.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand why you called me here. My hands are already full enough with my own operations.“ Nighteye says, sounding irritated. “The League of villains is one thing,” the man says slowly. “But Neji Hyuga?”
“Have some patience,” Nedzu scolds lightly. “Detective?”
"If you’ll allow me,...” Tsukauchi clears his voice, standing. “Neji Hyuga. Seventeen years of age. He first came to our attention six months ago, when he was found in an alleyway; he assaulted a civilian in the streets and was arrested. He claimed it was self-defense– it’s possible it was shock that prompted the act.” Tsukauchi licks his dry lips. “There were… signs of struggle: he was covered in blood, scratches, wore rags and carried various odd objects like unreadable scrolls, shuriken and the likes. Honestly I think the only reason we got a hold of him at that time was because of his condition. He also lacked basic knowledge about our society, for instance he seemed confused about the existence of a police force, didn’t know what a smartphone was, and assumed the detective in charge of interrogating him would torture him.”
“He’s seventeen?” All Might mumbles, looking grave. No doubt he had already seen the news about him.
“You think he has a connection to All For One.” Nighteye states, staring right at the detective. Gran Torino raises a questioning eyebrow, and the number one’s face tightens.
Nedzu grins, delighted. “How did you know?”
The man in the suit sighs. “...It’s the only reason you could’ve called me here.”
Nedzu snickers behind his paw, and Tsukauchi sees All Might sweat-drop. The principal has always fancied Nighteye– the detective supposes it’s because the rodent can see some of his own cold intellect in the man.
“A direct connection, actually.” Tsukauchi answers the earlier question. “After reviewing what clues we had, we concluded that he must have lived through some kind of training, likely while having been isolated. The signs of physical and psychological trauma were telling.”
“That’s without mentioning his multiple quirks.” Nedzu added, and Tsukauchi nodded. Instantly, everyone’s eyes narrowed.
Tsukauchi cleared his voice. “As of now, we think he might have some sort of mutation quirk, especially located in his eyes, a physical enhancement quirk, a paralysis quirk, a teleportation quirk as well as minor self-healing.” the man gulps, aware of the bomb he’s about to drop. “And…it seems quirk detectors do not work on him. Okada’s did not, in any case.”
Tension got a hold of everyone in the room. This… changed quite a lot of things, actually. It meant that UA’s and most agencies’ security was compromised. Not to mention government buildings. Of course everyone was aware of the loophole– quirkless people. They had always been an anomaly most people did not take seriously, especially today as their number dimmed and dimmed until one could find them mostly in the aging population. Thus they usually weren’t a problem, with a few exceptions, and people had become too reliant on quirk-detectors as a means for security.
“So, we have another Shigaraki Tomura on our hands. But with half a brain and the raw power behind it.” Gran Torino grumbles, breaking the silence.
“One that got away.” Tsukauchi nods. “It seems that he’s been enjoying his newfound freedom in the last months, which explains his apparent lack of a goal.”
“Enjoying it a little bit too much, clearly.” the elderly hero gripes, then louder: “You think the attack on Okada industries was aimless?”
“No, an attack of that scale on such a public figure couldn’t be. There was intent behind it, but that doesn’t mean it was his.” Tsukauchi argues. “It’s likely that he was hired. Most villains don’t plot the demise of society as a whole, anyway– money is a common motivation.”
“What about detective Tanuma, then? I assume he’ll be handing his case over.” Nedzu suddenly pipes in.
“It has been established that Tanuma, the current detective in charge of this case, would help me from the sides without knowing the full picture. With the sudden apparition of a connection between the League and Neji Hyuga, it’s likely we’re going to merge the two cases anyway. The papers are already getting processed, we’re just waiting for confirmation from the chief.” Tsukauchi says. “Besides, it seems Tanuma has gotten… personally involved in his case.”
“That’s dangerous.” Nighteye comments.
“...Tanuma is a competent detective, and my senior. He has experience with vigilantes, and I believe his expertise will help this case move along.” the detective defends. “Furthermore, right now he’s the most familiar with Neji Hyuga’s patterns, having been following his trail for the last months.” A half truth– there is no real pattern in Neji Hyuga’s actions, not even common traits in his victims they can exploit. Aimless.
Of course, Nighteye sees right through it. “The way I see it, that villain has been running aimlessly since he came to your attention.”
Bullseye. Tsukauchi internally cringes, and deflects. “But with All for One’s possible involvement, we can’t risk it.”
“On another note,” Nedzu begins, cutting the argument short (Tsukauchi is secretly relieved.) “There’s something I’d like your opinion on.”
He produces a small, carrot-designed flashdrive from his suit pocket, and displays its contents with the projector.
Tsukauchi gives Nedzu a loaded look– he’s fairly sure the principal is not supposed to have this video, only the authorities should be privy to it. The white rodent cleverly avoids his eyes, a smile fixed on his face. They watch the footage of Neji Hyuga and the guard– Konishi Takao’s ‘fight.’ Which can hardly be called as such seeing as it is clearly one-sided, and most importantly quick to end. The silence turns grim as they stare at the resulting dead man on the floor, whose face has been all over the media.
“Odd stances.” All Might comments. Nedzu agrees.
“I’ve asked that one of my faculty staff take a look at it. He might provide some useful insight.”
“Aizawa?” The hero guesses, perking up at the mention of his colleague. Nedzu nods.
“Undergrounders have a different outlook on things, the kind we need. And, with his experience… Not to mention his quirk…” the rodent trails off, clapping his paws, “Actually, I think we should consider bringing Shouta in on the secret.”
A brief silence.
“One for All isn’t something that can be treated lightly. The less people in the know, the better.”
“That is quite correct.” Nedzu allows. “Although Aizawa is teaching All Might’s successor, as such him knowing would ensure nice growth for the child, and a safety net in case of any accidents. Which we know is something rather… common.” All Might shrinks in his chair at the reminder of his protégé’s habit of breaking his bones. “Additionally, I’ve seen the boy grow– he can be trusted. To conclude, he’d make a valuable ally against All For One himself. ”
Instinctively, “All For One is dead.”
The good detective winces, while Nighteye’s mouth settles in a grim line and Gran Torino grunts. Nedzu merely shakes his head at All Might, “He isn’t. I think we’ve gathered enough clues to establish that fact.”
Tsukauchi can see the man clench his fists beneath the table.
Night Eye purses his lips “Yes,” a curt nod. “I’ll trust your judgment regarding Eraserhead, principal. I myself have worked alongside him on occasions. I know him to be capable.”
“Any other objections?” Nedzu asks, beady eyes circling the room. Gran Torino makes a lackadaisical ‘go ahead’ gesture. Tsukauchi himself has no objections.
“Do it. Admittedly, it’s something I should’ve done much sooner.” All Might says, rubbing his head in abashment.
Nedzu grins, clapping his paws. “Perfect then! Now onto the real subject for this meeting.” there’s a mischievous glint in his eyes. “How to defeat Neji Hyuga, then?”
“From what little we saw of that fight, I’d say restriction quirks are our best bet.” Gran Torino suggests. “A close-up fight would be dangerous, especially cus’ we know so little about his quirks…”
“I happen to agree.” The principal nods, delighted. “I’ve had this nagging idea recently… What do you think of an elite team, specifically designed to capture that boy?” The question sounded very rhetoric, so nobody answered, simply staring at him with put off expressions.
“And you’ll be in charge of this operation.” Nighteye guesses, two fingers pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Haven’t seen you out that dusty office of yours in a while, rat.” Gran Torino grins.
“Don’t forget that I’m a pro-hero first and UA’s principal second.” Nedzu reminds, the same grin stretching across his face. “Please have your agencies be on the look-out for Neji Hyuga and contact me if so, but do not engage. I will be taking matters into my own paws.”
All Might and Tsukauchi both look between the two in dismay, feeling mischief coming out of the principal in waves.
Much later that same day, a man pauses on his way home, one hand already gripping the handle of his car. He brings his phone to his ear with a barely-repressed sigh.
“...I’ve got a rather interesting video footage I want your output on.” Nedzu chimes on the other side of the line. No ‘hello’, no ‘I’m sorry to disturb you so late at night’... “I can’t email it to you, so I’ll pass you a flashdrive. Stop by my office tomorrow morning, will you?”
Eraserhead bites the inside of his cheek. “Got it.”